The Day of Thunder

[Shiba Kumori]

It had been far too long on the road for Han-Hei.

It had been too long without a good bath… and today was the perfect day for it.

Her face still stung a little and was slightly redder on the left side.

She disrobed and washed herself… All along her left side were signs of the burns she suffered saving the village woman.

Her hair was filled with dirt, ash, and grime… as she washed black water flowed onto the floor for well over a minute.

Looking at her reflection in the bowl of water brought up images of the woman who she resembled…

She chuckled at the sight…

The fates sure have a funny sense of humor…

After thoroughly cleaning herself she found an outdoor pool where she could rest her weary bones… And think about anything but what the universe was trying to tell her.


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OOC: Open Thread!

[Otomo Akutou]

Having survived, evidently, and having taken Yukara to a healer and retrieved the missed-shot arrows and his bow, Akutou is aware of being dirty and needing to fix that situation. Thus, to the bath-house for a self-recriminatory scrub.

After, he sinks into the pool with a sigh before he notices another there.

"Ma'am," he says, motioning as if to touch the brim of a hat he's not currently wearing.

[Shiba Kumori]

“Sir.” She replied with a nod of her head.

She averted her eyes as was proper in such an establishment, but out of the side of her eye she noticed the particularly ragged appearance of her co-bather.

After a fair amount of time her curiosity got the better of her.

“You doing alright? Caught out in the stampede?”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Stampede, ma'am?" Akutou's face contorts in a lack of understanding.

"Had some unpleasantness wi' some wolves, ma'am, but no stampede f'r my part."

He pauses a moment.

"It were Han-hei, if'n I recollect aright?"

Then, with the hat-brim gesture again, "Otomo Akutou. Just t' be sure."

[Shiba Kumori]

She nodded, “You recollect… correct.”

She’d heard of a southern accent but this was the strongest one she had heard.

“What kind of wolves Otomo-san?”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Had one big'n that were clearly off," Akutou says, "an' a passel o' reg'lar ones as seemed t' be answerin' to it."

He shakes his head. "Otaku and Hiruma Naraku took most o' the small'ns. Ryoshun Yukara took on th' big'n, seemed t' have history wi' 'im. Didn't agree wi' 'er much, so I took 'er off f'r healin' after th' fight were done.

"Was th' least I c'd do."

Another shake of the head, slower.

[Shiba Kumori]

“Off? You mean… unusual?” She asked.

“How so?”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Too big," Akutou replies. "Too mean. Bled th' wrong color."

He takes a deep breath. "I've seen sim'lar things afore. Had a spindlehorn acted like that not long afore th' O-Iemoto tol' me t' come up this way. Some other critters, too."

He gives something that might be a laugh. "Even a rabbit, if'n y' c'n b'lieve it. Damned thing stood clear up t' my waist.

"Anyway, big ol' wolf. Like I said, it seemed t' have it in f'r th' Bat, an' she f'r it."

He sighs. "Hope she'll be okay. She were messed up bad. But I seen some healers do some miracles, so there's hope, an' a lot o' it."

[Shiba Kumori]

Her mind went to the Bat-Cat woman she had met the day before.

Norikage will want to check on her I’d guess…

“I too have seen the like in the past few years… You and your companions did well. They must’ve been what scared the wildlife into stampeding outside the village.” She replied.

“Thank you for protecting the people here.” She offered a bow with her head in sincere appreciation.

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou shakes his head.

"Th' thanks go t'others," he says. "They did more'n me."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Did you do all within your power? Give only a partial effort?” She asked.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Sometimes, a body's best still ain't enough," Akutou responds. "As's been said t' me more'n once, and by more'n one person."

He laughs just a bit, the sound slightly bitter. "Couple of 'em're even people I care t' listen to."

[Shiba Kumori]

She looked out over the water and felt the lingering tingle of her agitated skin.

“I also have people close to me expressing the same types of views… I wouldn’t say they are all wrong… but neither are they all right.”

She added, “The baddies are dead, you’re alive and people are safe. And I bet your desire to do better is even greater… You got plenty of reason to be proud.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"That's right kind o' you t' say, ma'am," Akutou says. "I'll do what I c'n do t' 'gree wi' y' on it."

He sighs heavily again, exhaling longer than he inhales.

"Gotta say that I do like this here hot bath. It's a good spot."

[Shiba Kumori]

“The mountains in the south aren’t nearly as volcano as these in the north… You have things like this back home?”

[Otomo Akutou]

"Springs an' such, yes'm," Akutou replies. "Some of 'em warm. Had one I found as was hot, indeed, but stank o' sulfur somethin' powerful, so I declined to immerse m'self, as might be thought.

"Most hot baths I've had, though, have been among th' results o' woodcutters' work. An' wood f'r that burnin' ain't always ready t' hand."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Is this your first trip up this far?” She asked.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Yes'm," Akutou replies. "Most o' my work's been patrollin' the more remote parts o' th' Stag lands, keepin' the boundaries surveyed, an' that kinda thing. Lotsa livin' out on th' land an' all.

"Makes any bathhouse a welcome sight. Makes a hot meal more'n a bit welcome, too. Been pleased wi' both here.

"But I'd guess it's not your first time in these here parts?"

[Shiba Kumori]

“Sounds wonderful to be honest.” She replied.

“I’ve always had a bit of wanderlust since I was a kid. Took me far and wide… Including this general area.”

She looked around, “But not this village… not really anywhere like it either.”

[Otomo Akutou]

"I'd imagine it'd take more'n one reg'lar person's lifetime t' get t' ev'reywhere," Akutou comments. "I mean, maybe someone like Jiyo Sora, or one o' them like th' Young Lord as're kin t' th' Kami.

"Th' Kami themselves," Akutou shrugs. "I seen th' Lord Hantei once 'r twice when he came by t' look at what all th' O-Iemoto was up to. Seemed a bit sorrowed t' hear plans f'r the last piece. But also r'mote in a way I ain't really got th' words to give t' it.

"I'm just a Hunter, after all, an' a simple one. I don't even carve s' much."